Toy
by Thorne Rosewood
Summary: Marinette has experience in the dating world... ...as a toy.
1. There's Room for Us All

"I can't wait for you to return...I'm going to give you the biggest kiss ever."

"Oh really?" Nathaniel asked.

"Definitely. Virtual kisses mean nothing. Real life kisses, though? Everything."

Nathaniel chuckled. "Only a couple more days, baby. I'm sure everyone is going to stare at us just making out in the middle of an airport."

"Well, it's common sense not to do that. The backseat of the taxi, though, will be a completely different story."

"Oh? Going quite fast, aren't we?"

"Yep." Marinette said with a grin.

The two tried to hold it in, but ended up bursting out laughing.

She heard a male voice in the background.

"I'm assuming that's your...partner?"

"Are you jealous?"

She frowned. "Do I have a reason to be? Should I?"

"No, no, of course not. You're the only apple in my eye. Besides, I'm not interested in guys."

Marinette sighed in relief. "Okay, you tomato. I'll call you again soon."

"Bye."

She waited for him to hang up, but didn't hear the three beeps. She frowned.

An opportunity to see if what he'd said was the truth.

-  
Fifteen minutes later, her phone was on the ground, screen cracked, and she was against a wall, head in her knees, sobbing.

She knew something was fishy about that partner of his.

She heard every moment between them.

They were much deeper moments than the two had ever had.

Moments that they'd never have.

"Should I?"

"No, of course not."

She saw it coming...

"Besides, I'm not interested in guys."

But that didn't exclude the other options. It could have been a girl. Maybe Marc decided to be non-binary all of a sudden.

Whatever had happened, every sound, every sentence hurt like hell.

She picked up the cell phone. The screen protector had taken some bad hits. She slammed it into the wall so hard with much force, as if to scream at Nathaniel.

But the screen still worked. For a little bit at least.

She opened her contacts and selected her best friend.

"Hey, do you...have a little bit?"

-  
Her voice was nasally.

"Who hurt you, girl?"


	2. I've Waited Forever

Minutes later, Marinette was sitting on her friend's couch with a full tub of ice cream and a spoon.

Nino was just staring at Marinette ("Fuck off, Alya didn't just cheat on you and trash talk you behind your back on a trip.").

"So? What exactly happened?"

"They fucked."

Alya smacked her forehead.

"Was that from disappointment?"

"In the both of you." Alya answered. "Asides from that-"

"Wait! Was it good?" Nino asked.

"I don't know! I can't rate it, I wasn't the one with him." Marinette sobbed.

"But the sound says it-"

"Nino, not everyone uses their laptop for what you do." Alya interrupted her boyfriend.

"In the daytime, I'm Marinette, and in the night time-"

"I will stab you with a fork if you speak again." Marinette threatened.

Nino shut up.

"So...what they say?"

"Um...well after it was all over...Nath said that their little session was better than the ones we ever had."

"Didn't you guys-"

"Make out, yes. Sleep? No. Another person to add to the 'Virgin Marinette Bullysing Squad' List. My own ex-boyfriend."

"Well, the good news is that he doesn't know that you heard, so you can pull a surprise on him."

Marinette let the ice cream melt in her mouth.

"So you're just gonna taunt him then walk away?" Claude, her older brother asked.

"Mm mm!" Marinette hummed. "I'm going to trick him."

"Trick him?"

"Payback time~" She said in a sing song voice with a mischievous grin.

-  
Nathaniel read her text.

"It's from the toy." Marc pointed out. "What does she want? Didn't you two talk yesterday?"

"No, she said that something came up."

"What exactly came up?"

"She didn't say. Maybe things got busy for her all of a sudden. She did just finish her schooling at ESMOD."

"She's too...she doesn't get things easy. She wouldn't just finish and then get an opportunity. Maybe she's cheating on you."

Nathaniel chuckled. "In that case, I'll use you as a weapon."

He read the text.

Something came up again, so I won't be able to meet you at the airport today, sorry. I know it's sorta last minute, but can you bring Marc? I wanna meet him.

"What are you going to say?"

Nathaniel grinned as he text back.

It's okay, Mar. And yes, I can bring him.

"Time for you to meet the toy."

"Dinner at an expensive restaurant." Marc observed.

"It's a little welcome party, I suppose..." Marinette told the two. "But I...have somewhere to be."

"Baby, you just got here. We haven't seen each other for four years now. Knowing you, you'd want to be all over me."

Marinette narrowed her eyes.

"For four years, you've been cheating on me. There's no way that I'm kissing you. Your 'partner' is closer to you than we ever were, than we ever will be."

"What are you talking about?" Marc asked Marinette. "I wouldn't steal your boyfriend."

"Really? Then what was that stunt you pulled after our last call? You know, where you two fucked and-"

"You heard that?!" Nathaniel shrieked.

"You left the phone on. Even though it was another room, I could still hear the both of you."

"Marinette..."

"This hurts, Nath. Obviously not equivalent to my parents' deaths, but...almost equivalent."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to erase what I heard from my mind. Sorry isn't going to erase the pain. Those words mean nothing to me. You used me like some emotional coupon to laugh at and have fun with. You never truly loved me. I feared this would happen. I thought there was going to be some girl who was so enticing that you forgot about me. Why couldn't it have been that? But no. You lie to me every time I ask, saying that you aren't interested in males, that there's nothing between you and Marc, as if I'm a homophobic girlfriend who won't accept my gay boyfriend."

Marc couldn't help but smile a little, seeing Marinette get all worked up.

"You can...be with us. Still. I'm not pushing you away. I'd love to have both you and Marc with me."

"No. I'm...uncomfortable with that. At least myself in the situation."

"Well, take me or leave me then."

"I'll leave, thanks." Marinette grabbed her keys and left the restaurant. "Dinner for you and your boyfriend is on you."

"You can't-" Marc started.

"I didn't get anything for a reason." Marinette told them before walking away.

-

"How did it go?" Claude asked his younger sister, who smiled sadly.

She held out her hand to him.

Ringless.

"It's over with him?"

"Yeah." She rasped.

Before breaking down in tears.

"Oh, bug..."

He held her in his arms. She didn't fight it.

"If romance is what makes you happy, then maybe we can find someone for you on an A rank dating site."

Marinette shook her head.

"I'm scared all they'll want to do is get me pregnant then leave me struggling."

"I can pretend to be you and interview them if you don't have the guts."

"No...I don't want to turn to a site yet."

"No? Maybe meet someone at work? Or therapy? Someone you can relate to?"

That managed to make her giggle. "Claude, I'm not gonna ask Luka to hook me up with a patient. As a therapist, he's not allowed to share client information with other clients. That can get him fired. He's a good therapist; I don't want to lose him."

"Fine. I won't push you. Being single is perfectly fine."

"But what about Melody?"

His crush.

Claude worked as a triage doctor at a small clinic. Melody was a coworker, a receptionist, that he had eyes for.

"Er..."

Marinette giggled. "You work on getting her, and I work on..."

"Recovering from this breakup and starting anew."

Marinette nodded in agreement. "Deal?"

Claude hugged her. "Deal."

-  
"So, has anything big happened recently?" Luka asked her.

His technical name was Dr. Couffaine, but his clients called him Luka, as most therapists preferred their first names as their main titles to their clients.

"You were talking about being so excited because your boyfriend coming back from the states. Is he back now?"

Marinette was silent for a little bit.

"He...did return. But we aren't talking to each other anymore. He cheated on me and talked about me behind my back with his partner. He even lied that he wasn't gay. Bi, gay, whatever he was..."

She couldn't remember, nor did she want to or care to.

"He lied. And that hurt."

"How did it hurt, Marinette?"

"It takes to for a good relationship. He was always inconsistent in talking to me, his now boyfriend would always interrupt our calls...that kinda stuff. If he had something for Marc, I wish he would have just told me. I wouldn't have been disrespectful about it. He knows I'm not homophobic or unsupportive of people's decisions about their sexuality. So him not having told me that...it hurrts. It just toes to show that he doesn't trust me and stopped doing so when he and Marc met."

"Tell me...are you going to try and pursue love again?"

Marinette took a couple minutes to think about it.

"Yeah. The first time around, I guess I got my memo that me and long distance relationships don't last well. So maybe this time around, I'll be with someone more close."

"Very good, Marinette...very good."


	3. A Drug Called Love

_"Luka...what are you doing!?"_

_"Do you know how long I've waited for you to be done with him?"_

_"What are you talking about?"_

Luka pushed her against the desk, both of his hands on her hips, roaming her thighs.

They weren't supposed to be doing this.

_Every second that their lips were together, Marinette felt all the pain slipping away._

But it felt good.

"I love you." He told her.

It was her drug.

_"You... We can't do this. You're married. You have a wife."_

Her lovely, lovely little drug called love.

_"We're getting a divorce."_

_Marinette pulled away. "Why? Because you love someone else?"_

It was a distraction.

_"Because we're both too busy for work to have time for each other."_

Distraction was a big part of the equation.

_"You're a therapist. I'm your client. I'm pretty sure this relationship between us isn't allowed...it could get you fired and put me in a bad light for my company..."_

Distraction = romance. Romance = distraction. Hundreds of problems from a fairly crap life + distraction = good.

_"Ignore that. You love this, I know you do...you want it."_

_"Luka..."_

_"Marinette, please..."_

Happy life via dating your soon to be divorced from his wife therapist + rules lustrous desires = disaster.

She didn't fight it.

If this was what made her feel better, then she had no choice. She was a toy. She accepted it, with the false hope that one day, that wouldn't be the case.

Too bad that rules and his wife still existed.

-  
Marinette's was as good as bare in her confidence boosting undergarments.

This was it. This was the moment that she'd been waiting for.

She could finally drop the title that haunted her forever, be...normal.

She heard the door open, then a gasp.

Shit. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.

Caught. They'd been caught.

"U-um..." Marinette pulled back from Luka.

"Luka...?" Came the woman's voice.

"Kagami...it isn't what it looks like."

"It's exactly what it looks like!" Marinette spoke up.

Luka narrowed his eyes at her, silently screaming what on Earth she was doing.

"Your husband lied to me that you and him had gotten a divorce." Marinette said simply.

"I..." Kagami whimpered.

"Luka...why did you lie to me? To us?"

"Because I love the both of you! You're...back ups for each other!"

Marinette remembered the scene.

Nathaniel said that he loved both of them.

"No. You can only love one of us. You promised to love Kagami. Promises are pounds of salt, not a single grain...you lied. To the both of us, might it be...you won't only lose a wife and a lover. You might just lose a client as well."

Marinette pulled her dress back on and left the room.

Kagami threw a piece of paper down at the door and followed.

-  
"Hey! Why'd you do that?"

Marinette stopped.

She clenched the strap of her purse.

"I'm a suspect, but prior, I was a victim. I know how a break up feels. A divorce probably feels ten times worse...but either way, it's parting from your love on a bad circumstance, and that hurts. I've already gone through it. You don't deserve that pain." Marinette explained, before continuing her trip to the car.

Kagami just stood.

She spoke from experience.

She didn't deserve any pushback...now Luka, on the other hand...

-  
"Kagami said that he lost his job and they're actually getting divorced soon."

"She's gonna raise the kids on her own?" Alya asked.

"I guess so. I'll be happy to babysit, though, so...she'll have me."

"That's a good spirit...are you gonna pursue love again?"

Marinette's face fell.

"I...I think it'll just be better to stabilize myself again. You know, get the company somewhere good, get myself somewhere good, and settle down before seeking out a man this time."

"Dating site style?"

Marinette grinned. "You know it."

"Why'd you do that?"

Kagami is the new John Quinones, yall.


	4. Words I've Never Heard Before

"There. That oughta bring all the men running to you." Alya told Marinette.

The young woman stared at her computer screen.

"I dunno, Alya...I'm getting older."

"Stop that. You're only 23 now."

"In love terms, that's old. Men want young women most of the time."

"There's a such thing as adults older than you loving each other, you know." Kagami explained. "My parents didn't meet until they were in their thirties. Almost fourties, actually."

Marinette shivered a little bit.

"But what about my preferences? Is it too much?"

"Let's see." Claude said, leaning over his younger sister's shoulder. "Loyal? Not at all too much. Caring? Again, not at all. Respectful, monogamous, witty...somewhere financially well?"

Marinette put her fingers together. "Uh...yes?"

"Please don't tell me you're gonna try and sugar date."

"Of course not! I just...Maman, Papa, and Nath spoiled me! Luka sorta did too. I'm not saying that I need someone with enough money to properly care for themselves. Slipping money to them would get the public's attention. Then it's game over."

"You're looking too deep into it." Claude told her, selecting the bullet and removing it. "You're looking for someone with a really good personality...and physique..."

"I'll take any body type that my potential mate would have. That's just a preference, not a turn down."

"Yada yada ya. Whatever. You get the idea. What we've written is enough. Now we post it,"

Alya tapped the button.

"And we wait."

-  
A few days later, via her newly formed bad habit of constantly having the app open, she got a notification.

Somebody had clicked the "I'm interested" button on her profile.

That wasn't a first; she'd met a guy with a big ego already beforehand, but turned him down. But still. She was excited to see it.

She analyzed the profile.

Age: 23  
Date of birth: 10/13/03  
Gender: Male  
Sexuality: Straight  
Job: Model  
Income: €1500/photoshoot session (2 photoshoot sessions per day, €30,000 per day, €121,500/week)  
Looking for income of: +10,000  
Schedule: Available for dates Wednesdays, Sundays and Saturday afternoons, is generally at photoshoots, clothing fittings, or conferences otherwise  
Hobbies: Gaming, reading manga/watching anime, research  
Education: Finished school with all A's but non perfect attendance due to model career  
Skills: Piano playing, fencing  
Likes: Genuine love, loyalty, a hard worker, creative, passionate, and fun females  
Dislikes: Partner who lies, partner who's prone to making lots of excuses, lazy partner, uncaring partner  
Age range: 20-26  
Dates I offer: Private arcade, private go karting/bumper cars, private amusement park, fancy dinner  
Health problems: N/A

Marinette grinned.

Jackpot.

-  
"Should I text him?" Kagami asked. ,

"Um..." Kagami was in a daze. "I...guess?"

"Go for it!" Alya exclaimed.

"He seems decent, so why not." Claude shrugged.

Marinette smiled as she opened up that empty window.

**You're the one who clicked the "I'm interested" button on my profile, correct?**

That's me.

**...hi...**

Hi, shy.

**_'''**

Cute emoticon

**They're much better than emojis, imo.**

Agreed.

**What drawer you to my profile?**  
**Er...that button.**  
**DREW***  
**Sorry, I'm new at this...**

You're alright. And...this did.

He sent her a picture of her profile page.

Age: 23  
Date of birth: 2/25/03  
Gender: Female  
Sexuality: Straight  
Job: Fashion designer  
Income: Has stores in Paris, New York, California, Tokyo, and China. Money usually goes to employees. Only money gained for personal benefit is ticket money for fashion shows. Tickets usually cost between 10,000 and 50,000. Four seasonal fashion shows per year.  
Looking for income of: +20,000  
Schedule: Work at home sometimes or in an office; things get busy between seasonal fashion shows, but available on Wednesdays, Sundays, and Saturdays.  
Hobbies: Baking  
Education: Majored in entrepreneurship and fashion design  
Skills: Mending/Quickly making clothing  
Likes: Loyalty, care, trust  
Dislikes: disloyalty, uncaring, untrusting  
Age range: 22-26  
Offered dates: Dinner, arcade, park walks  
Health problems: N/A

**Anything in specific?**

No. Every detail drew me to your pfp.

**You're a famous model...how come you aren't taken yet?**

Because people who love me only want to use me to have a special title and more money.  
I want a real relationship.  
And you seem to offer that.

**Why don't we meet up sometime then?**

I can send you the address to my parents' private arcade.  
Or restaurant.  
Or amusement park.  
Your choice.

**The arcade...that might be fun.**  
**No wait...amusement park! Yeah!**

Amusement park it is then, Marinette.

**You can call me Mari if you want.**

Mari*. For now. Hopefully my body acts right and I fall straight for you like I'm planning to. You'll get a personal title.

**That made me smile...funny. And flattering.**  
**I can't wait...**  
**Is there preferred attire?**

...no? Why would there be?

**...past experience.**

I'll take you in whatever you're in. Bathing suit/lingerie absolutely not included.

**I'd never!**  
**Not yet at least.**

-  
He choked.

"Wow. She is a tease." Felix chuckled.

"Shuddup." Adrien shushed his brother.

**You there?**

You caught me off guard.

**Really?**  
**That's a first.**  
**Very, very first.**

And not the last, I hope.

**No guarantees. But I'll try. 3**

*spams the heart button*

**So cute. Cuteness overload...**

/

**STOP**  
**BEING**  
**CUTE**  
**I command you**

I'm a model  
E

-  
"If you two are acting like this, then I wonder how it'll be at the date." Claude speculated.

"Ten times better!"

**I will smother you to death in cuddles and kisses if you don't**

Fine with me

Kagami was still quiet.

I've gotta go, little lady...but I do look forward to seeing you very soon, and being smothered to death in cuddles and kisses.

**Don't wear makeup, I'll just mess it up.**  
**Oh wait...you're already beautiful. You don't need any.**

Adrien screeched and threw his phone.

"Yo, chill!" Felix cried.

"Nope. Not happening. I just got a date. And my date knows how to press every single button on me that exists. Even the hidden ones."

"TMI, TMI!" Felix cried.

"You baby. Don't think you and Lila chill and I hear nothing."

"That's...different." Felix excused.

"Not by much." Adrien chuckled. "I can't wait to meet..."

-  
"...him." Marinette sighed.

In the days leading up to hers and Adrien's date, while Alya and Claude we're drilling her (she wasn't really paying attention; she'd done this twice already), she noticed how quiet Kagami was.

"Are you okay?" Marinette asked her friend.

She nodded.

"You've seemed bothered ever since Adrien text me for the first time. What's wrong?"

"I...know Adrien."

"You do? How?" Marinette asked.

"He's my step brother."

"Your step brother?"

"Yeah. He has been ever since we were fifteen. We fell in love; we dated. We kept it from our parents..."

"How did they react when they found out?"

"They never found out. Adrien and I eventually agreed after our parents married that a relationship between siblings seemed wrong, and we broke up. It hurt losing my romantic mate, but at least I had a brother still."

"Are you distant from him now?"

Kagami nodded.

"But you're not against visiting him, are you?"

"It'd hurt to see him. We'll never be the same. But no, I'm not."

Marinette was quiet." I can cancel, if you'd-"

"No, no! Don't! I want to see you happy. Him happy. Both are rare occurrences."

"Does he like talking about it?"

"He thinks that it drives people away, so no, not really."

"Anything else I should know?" Marinette asked with a grin.

"Hmm...he knows that he has a tendency to go fast. He tries to tame it, but...it's complicated, if you know what I mean."

Slow him down. Got it.

Seemed easy enough.

-  
Nope. Not at all easy.

She couldn't resist. She didn't want to.

After every date, they'd make out in the car. The car became his condo living room. The living room became the bed, after a few dates.

"My love...it may be too late to say this, but...we gotta slow down some."

He gazed at her.

"I figured you were gonna say that."

"Your speed in this relationship isn't much of a problem. It's just...if we're gonna be together for a while, then there's no need to rush at all. We have all the time ever."

Adrien smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"Really? After everything that's my reassurance?"

Adrien grinned and pulled her closer. "Is this what you were looking for?" He asked her.

She grinned. "Much better."

-  
"I love you so much, my love..."

"Are you sure? You aren't just toying with me?"

"Positive." Adrien answered. "You make me happy, you cheer me up, you have my back, you're loyal...everything I've ever wanted. I wanna be with you forever. That's my plan."

Marinette smiled. "I love it as much as I love you."

"How much is that?"

"How many atoms are there in the entire universe?"

"A lot."

"Now...multiply that by infinity."

"That's a lot for both." He said. "I love it...I'm gonna say I love you so much that it'll get annoying."

"For once, I'll take that. It's better than what I had in the past."

~fin~

* * *

I

AM

EXHAUSTED

The last time I got a full night of sleep was like...two weeks ago. Ever since then Ive stayed up posting oneshots and Backfire. I'm so tired, I can literally put my head down on my laptop and sleep (hmm...good idea actually)

This is probably the last of what you'll see from me till February 1st, which will be the start of My Mystery Love (Trailer is in Fanfic Teasers). But please keep leaving reviews and suggestions...I'm just taking a break bc I'm exhausted and need one to function normally.

See you guys soon!

-Thorne


End file.
